


helianthus

by kyeom



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: M/M, barista wonwoo, slight soonchan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-02-28 23:58:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18766990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyeom/pseuds/kyeom
Summary: The sun through Wonwoo's eyes.





	helianthus

The familiar sound of wind chimes wakes Wonwoo up. He forgot he has work today, so he spent the whole night reading his favorite manga. Not like it mattered anyway, the café barely had customers. He’s still working there anyway, the café owner is a family friend, and she’s always away. Going out of the country, finding herself or whatever. Wonwoo offered to help the very first time she went on a trip until she’s grown a liking to him. ( _"_ _Darling, can you manage the café while I’m gone? I can’t find any other responsible kid like you.")_  He isn’t a responsible kid, but he can’t say no to someone who calls him darling. It’s summer anyway, nothing else to do. He’s getting paid too, he kinda needed the money to buy himself copies of the manga he was reading.

 

 —

 

Whoever came in was only the third customer today. Wonwoo quickly stands from his chair. (It’s the same one the customers would sit on. He’s supposed to be standing, but he got too bored, so he dragged one to his station.) He fixes his hair and aligns his glasses.

 

“Hi.” The customer looks up. The customer being Seokmin. Seokmin from literature class.

 

Here’s the thing with Wonwoo, he loves observing people. It’s fun, picking up quirks and just _understanding_ someone. He usually knows just a little of everyone. Except Seokmin. He knows _more_ than a bit. He doesn’t know exactly why. There’s just something about him. He talks very loudly, but his voice is nice so it’s never annoying. He smiles a lot, seeing-a-puppy kind of smile at anything he sees. Contrary to his bright personality, his favorite color is black. He’s also easy to talk to. He’s talked to Wonwoo about nine times so far, not that Wonwoo was counting.

 

“The usual?” Wonwoo smiles at him. Seokmin always comes here with his best friend Soonyoung. He notices that Soonyoung isn’t with him. He doesn’t ask though, knowing Seokmin, he might mention it himself.

 

—

 

He doesn’t. It’s like Seokmin forgot his Soonyoung at home and he hasn’t noticed. Another thing Wonwoo noticed is that Seokmin hasn’t smiled back during the whole time he was ordering his coffee. It was a routine, Wonwoo asks if he’s getting the usual and Seokmin smiles at him. Then, Seokmin asks him _“How’s your day?”_ or something else school-related, _“Have you finished the take-home essay?”_. Wonwoo even practiced his smile and saying 'the usual' more times than he’d like to admit. Seokmin also doesn’t order 'the usual', which is a caramel frappé. Seokmin gets a boring espresso instead. (Boring because it’s something Wonwoo would get.) Wonwoo goes and make the coffee, then gives Seokmin his change.

 

Seokmin doesn’t go and sit in their usual spot, the one by the window closest to the door. He looks around, as if trying to avoid the specific table. Seokmin turns around and walks towards the bar near Wonwoo. Wonwoo smooths out his apron and re-aligns his glasses. Seokmin doesn’t look up at him though, not that Wonwoo was expecting. He just stared at his espresso.

 

It takes about five minutes of awkward silence, “I don’t even like espresso.” Seokmin says. Wonwoo purses his lips, _I knew it._

 

“You’ve been spacing out for a while now, are you alright?” Wonwoo doesn’t think they’re close at all, but he feels like it’s something he should ask. ( _"_ _Try making new friends in the café!”_ his mother told him. He doesn’t know if this counts, but it’s an attempt.)

 

Wonwoo considered slapping himself when it took more than a few seconds for Seokmin to reply.

 

“I didn’t get the part.”, Seokmin mumbles. “The lead role. In our school play. I know it’s not a big deal, but I’ve worked so hard on it. It was the only think I'd think of for weeks." Wonwoo gives a light nod, signalling him to go on. "Seungkwan got it, the role. I’m so happy for him too, you know? He’s a real nice kid. I can't get mad at him, but it still hurts. Soonyoung,” he says like he was reading Wonwoo’s mind, “He’s out on a date with Chan. He's a year below us. I think he's part of the dance club Soonyoung is in. It’s nice, you know, seeing him happier and all but he...” Seokmin tears up, “he doesn't have time for me anymore?We still meet during lunch, but he doesn’t ask how’s my day anymore. Everything is Chan  _this,_ Chan  _that._ ”

 

Wonwoo felt like giving him a hug. He doesn’t, of course.

 

“I’m sorry.”, he says instead. Seokmin pouts a bit, then he cries. Full on sobbing. There’s no one else in the café, not that Seokmin would have minded either way.

 

This is the part where Wonwoo panics. The world suddenly felt like shrinking, it’s just the two of them now, minus the people walking by the sidewalk, or the cars passing by. It’s only Seokmin and he. He doesn’t know how to make friends, and he absolutely has no idea what to do when someone cries in front of him. He hasn’t had enough friends to experience that with. Seokmin is right there, in front of him, eyes swelling. Wonwoo stands up, “Seokmin, stay here.”

 

Wonwoo has no idea what got into him. The shit in this café is _expensive_. They taste great though, he’s usually given the pastries that don’t get sold within the day. He never sneaks out the snacks even if he’s thought of it once. (The red bean bun was tempting.) It’s why the owner loved him so much, he thinks. Wonwoo has also always been the frugal type too, never spending on anything he won’t need. He completely forgets all this as soon as he starts blending the drink.

 

—

 

Another thing about Wonwoo is that he’s nice. _Really_ nice, the type that old women would love to dote on. His mother tells him that, not that she’s an old woman. That he’s a really nice kid. However, he doesn’t understand how he ends up with a blueberry muffin and a caramel frappé on the tray he’s holding. That's  _too_ nice of him. It’s perfectly made as well, the whipped cream swirled just right (It was a personal challenge for him to put the perfect amount of cream. He’s gotten so bored he’s made games with himself. He’s never done anything as well as this one.) As he walks closer back to the chair he was just on, he sees Seokmin.

 

Seokmin’s eyes, somehow, they seem to light up. Wonwoo always read those in novels, how someone’s eyes would just light up. He thinks it’s stupid, but he gets it now. He sits down and hands Seokmin his food.

 

Inhale. “Y-you…” Wonwoo starts, of course he stutters. “You can always visit here, t-talk about…” Seokmin looks at him directly at the eye. Fuck. “Anything. You know? If you need anyone to talk to. I’m here.”

 

Seokmin looks down at his muffin then back up at Wonwoo, “Will there always be free snacks?”. Wonwoo tried to fight back the smile that’s trying to form on his lips.  
“No, you’re paying for this one too.”

 

It all just happened so fast. Seokmin blinks, wipes his tears, then lets out the brightest laugh Wonwoo has ever heard. It went on for a minute or so, but it felt longer for Wonwoo. (He kinda wanted it to last longer too.)

 

Seokmin starts eating his muffin. Wonwoo just stares. Suddenly, it clicks. Wonwoo wants to see Seokmin smile. And laugh. Wonwoo  _likes_ Seokmin. Just a little bit. “Thank you, Wonwoo.” Seokmin says. “I love this! I haven’t eaten this for a while, vocal practice you know.” (Wonwoo knows.), he eyes at his muffin, “and I missed this too.”, he says in between sips. “I’ll definitely come by more often. You’re the best.”, he says with the smile. _The smile_.

 

Butterflies. Literal butterflies, going wild. It’s like, butterflies seeing the best flower in the world and they’ve all gone mad. That, but in his stomach. Seokmin hasn’t stopped smiling yet, hopefully Wonwoo isn’t showing how much it affects him.

 

Maybe, just maybe, Wonwoo doesn’t regret his choices in life anymore.

 

—

  


_“Seok, what’s the best pair of anything here that you can think of?” Soonyoung says, like they’re at a variety show. He has always been like this, blurting out anything and everything out of the blue.  
_

 

_Seokmin places his chin on his palm, and stares at the menu for a bit. It takes him a short while, “Maybe a caramel frappé and a blueberry muffin.”_

 

  
_“That’s too much sugar, you’re a singer!” Soonyoung fake scowls at him, “They don’t even match either. You know, it’s obviously the butter croissant, wait no, It’s definitely the…”, Soonyoung looks up, then down, then stares into the distance for a bit, tries to count with his fingers too, for some reason. “You know what, fuck that. There are too many choices!”_

 

_Seokmin laughs, and on the corner of his eyes, he thinks he sees Wonwoo smiling too._

**Author's Note:**

> i've written this a long while ago, sorry it's not the best. also, i proofread this myself, sorry if there were unnoticed mistakes.
> 
> if you've read this up to the end, you have my whole heart.
> 
> comments and everything else are very much appreciated!


End file.
